offers certifications for personal care and home care items, ranging from cosmetics and skincare to laundry detergent and surface cleaners. The NPA evaluates whether a commercial good may truly be deemed “natural,” with standards regulated and defined by the FDA. The four main categories the NPA investigates are a product’s ingredients, safety, responsibility and sustainability. 

A Natural Seal certification requires that the item is composed of only, or a majority of, natural ingredients that are also manufactured with the correct operations to maintain ingredient purity. All products that receive their mark of approval must also avoid ingredients that are suspected of human health risks and manufacturing processes that employ animal testing. NPA certified goods are guaranteed to utilize biodegradable ingredients as well as sensitive packaging that is ultimately safer for the environment. Under the Natural Standard for Personal Care Products, accepted ingredients must come from renewable resources (such as flora, fauna and mineral), with no petroleum compounds. Each ingredient must contain substances that are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the DFA and used in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices. Manufacturers must evaluate ingredients, ensuring that they are made with raw materials with natural resources and using sustainable ecological processes. Through these standards, NPA prides itself on assisting consumers in shopping more ethically and sustainably when it comes to personal care and home care products. 

LEARN MORE: Natural Products Association

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